Contributions

  • Shu, Lisa L. - Contributor
  • Bazerman, Max H. - Contributor
  • Harvard Business School - Contributor

Publication

2011 - Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts

Language

English

Word Count

10,250 words, Guess

Page Count

41 pages

Identifiers

Description

A wealth of literature documents how the common failure to think about the decisions of others contributes to suboptimal outcomes. Yet sometimes, an excess of cynicism appears to lead us to over-think the actions of others and make negative attributions about their motivations without sufficient cause. In the process, we may miss opportunities that greater trust might capture. We review the research about when people think too little and when they think too much about the decisions of others, as contrasted with rational behavior. We also discuss the antecedents and consequences of these naïve and cynical errors, as well as some potential strategies to buffer against their effects and achieve better outcomes in competitive contexts.

Description

A wealth of literature documents how the common failure to think about the self-interests of others contributes to suboptimal outcomes. Yet sometimes, an excess of cynicism appears to lead us to over-think the actions of others and make negative attributions about their motivations without sufficient cause. In the process, we may miss opportunities that greater trust might capture. We review the research on when people expect too little and or too much self-interest in the intentions of others, as contrasted with rational behavior. We also discuss the antecedents and consequences of these naïve and cynical errors, as well as some potential strategies to buffer against their effects and achieve better outcomes in competitive contexts.

Subjects

Series Statement

  • Working paper / Harvard Business School -- 11-066

Other Editions

  • Naivete and cynicism in negotiations and other competitive contextsHarvard Business School2011

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